'The only time the church will close is when the Rapture is taking place': Florida pastor
Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne mocks coronavirus social distancing orders and says
his mass sermons will continue since his followers are 'revivalists, not pansies'
By ARIEL ZILBER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
A conservative evangelical pastor in Florida is defying calls to close his church so as to prevent the spread of coronavirus, saying that his sermons will go on since his congregants aren’t ‘pansies’ and that they should even shake hands.
‘We are not stopping anything, Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne told his followers during a sermon at River Tampa Church on Monday.
‘I've got news for you, this church will never close.
‘The only time the church will close is when the Rapture is taking place.
Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne told his followers in a Tampa church on Monday that taking social distancing precautions because of the coronavirus outbreak is for 'pansies'
Howard-Browne, who heads a Tampa-based ‘Bible school’ called Revival Ministries International, delivered a sermon at the River Tampa Church on Monday
‘This Bible school is open because we're raising up revivalists, not pansies.’
Howard-Browne heads a Tampa-based ‘Bible school’ called Revival Ministries International.
During the course of the sermon, the pastor, a South African-born US citizen who first came to the United States as a missionary in 1987, told his followers to greet one another, according to Newsweek.
‘Well I know they don't want us to do this, but just turn around and greet two, three people,’ he said.
‘Tell them you love them, Jesus loves them.’
Tell them to ignore their governments directives!!!?? Does anyone know the chapter and verse for that?
Florida, as of Monday, has reported four deaths from the novel coronavirus.
There have also been 155 confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in the state - a significant spike compared to figures over the weekend.
Some cities and counties have begun implementing bans on gatherings of more than 250 people.
But Howard-Browne doesn’t appear eager to heed any that might affect his church.
‘Listen, this has to be the safest place,’ he said during the sermon.
‘If you cannot be saved in church, you in serious trouble.’
Astonishing! How cavalier with other people's lives, not just his congregation but their families, friends, neighbors, co-workers, store clerks, etc.
Last month, Howard-Browne bragged that he had plans to stop the coronavirus.
He said he would do to the pathogen what he did with the Zika virus, which was ‘cursed’ from Florida in the name of Jesus.
Howard-Browne pledged to ward off coronavirus and keep it from reaching the United States.
‘We are doing the same thing with the coronavirus,’ Howard-Browne said in a Periscope video posted on February 24.
‘We do not need it on these shores, and somebody said “Well, what about the rest of the world?”
‘I mean, I can't be responsible for every city, or whatever.’
As of Monday afternoon, the US has reported
more than 4,100 confirmed cases of coronavirus.
At least 73 people who were confirmed carriers of the virus have died
RHB's unfortunate faith doesn't seem to be working - perhaps he's not cursing hard enough
Howard-Browne is known for making outlandish statements.
In January, he made headlines when he said that Jesus should ‘beat the crap out of’ John Bolton, the former national security adviser who was critical of President Trump after he fired him over disagreements on foreign policy.
Because that's just like Jesus, right?
He also led a prayer circle alongside his wife Adonica in the White House in 2017.
Howard-Browne was part of a group invited to pray with Trump during a meeting with members of The Office of Public Liaison.
Howard-Browne, who is from South Africa but came to America in 1987 after a 'calling from God', described the moment as 'surreal' and 'humbling'.
He wrote: 'I was asked by Pastor Paula White-Cain to pray over our 45th President - what a humbling moment standing in the Oval Office - laying hands and praying for our President - Supernatural Wisdom, Guidance and Protection - who could ever even imagine - wow - we are going to see another great spiritual awakening.
Howard-Browne's teachings on the concept of 'holy laughter' - an outpouring of joy caused by the Holy Spirit - helped to inspire the Toronto Blessing, which many believe to be an instance of mass blessing which took place in 1994.
True revivals lead people to repentance not laughter. Was the Toronto Blessing a movement of the Holy Spirit? I don't know; but it does not fit with anything I know about God, revivals, or the Bible.
I had the misfortune of seeing RHB at a fund-raiser service about 18 years ago. I was so impressed, I walked out in the middle of the service. He was there with Todd Bentley and others with Fresh Fire Ministries. Bentley has since been accused by an ex-protege of having a 'perverse sexual addiction' from which he doesn't seem to have been delivered many years later.
I have complained about the lack of discernment in the Christian church many times. It seems to me that working that closely with someone accused of raping young girls and homosexual relationships, that someone close to God would sense something.
Shincheonji Church
How many people will die because of RHB's lack of discernment? I'm beginning to suspect that God is cleaning up some of the blasphemy in His Name with this virus. The big church that was largely responsible for the dramatic Covid-19 attack on South Korea, the first major outbreak outside of China, was a church called The Shincheonji Church of Jesus. This massive church worships their leader, Lee, as the incarnation of Jesus Christ. To make that fit with the Bible, they have decided that the Bible is all written in code and only Lee can interpret it.
This is an extremely dangerous cult. RHB's church is nothing like that, but then one has to wonder how much like Jesus Christ it is. Is this a witness of Him? It shouldn't take long to find out.
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